5 mind-boggling pieces of Cricket trivia
Cricket has a storied history, from its origins in the late 16th-century to the globalized 21st-century sport that it is today. Through the hundreds of years and thousands of players, countless records have been created and broken. This compilation contains some of the most essential but ridiculous cricket facts that are deceptively tricky.
#1: Which teams played the first international cricket match?
Did you think it was Australia vs England? Think again. The Ashes might be one of the greatest international rivalries across all sports, but it is surprisingly enough not actually the oldest international cricketing contest.
The first ever international cricket match was played between Canada and the United States of America as a two-day game. The match was held in New York at St. George's Cricket Club and took place from 24th - 26th September 1844. The second day was washed out but play resumed and concluded on the third day. There was a large crowd present at the ground as well
Canada batted first, amassing a then-respectable 82 in 32 overs thanks to David Winckworth and George Sharpe, both top scoring with 12 runs, as Sheffield-born USA bowler Sam Wright took a 5 wicket haul. The USA was bowled out by Canada for 64 in their first innings, with Winckworth and Fred French taking 4 scalps apiece, conceding an 18 run first-innings deficit.
Canadian second innings was powered to 63, with Winckworth top scoring yet again with 14, as Henry Groom took a five-for. Set 82 to win, USA was restricted to 58 by the sharp bowling of Sharpe who took 6 wickets. Canada won the match by 23 runs and international cricket evolved into the hotly-contested sport it is today. This match is believed to be amongst the first ever international sporting contests, and the rivalry between the USA and Canada lives on today as the Auty Cup.